Finding Her Way Home
by Sab0511
Summary: After running from her past, Kira must learn to trust the team she left behind, again. She finds that trust is easier to give when the heart is open. AU, one shot


_This story takes place in an alternate universe, after losing her powers, Kira fled Reefside and found shelter at a small university in Missouri. This was just something that came to me, and I wanted to write. Some days I feel like I am running from my past, and it always catches up to me. I hope you enjoy Kira story about new friends, and old, her family and most importantly herself, as she searches for a way to get back home._

Finding Her Way Back Home

"Hey, Kira, can you help me with my history paper," my roommate, Trish asked.

"Trish, I can't, I'm running late for my lesson," I replied.

Running, that was a good way to put what I was doing now-a-day's, my days as a ranger where long over, almost forgotten in fact.

It had been three years since I lost my powers, after I lost them, I felt like I had lost a part of who I was. I had stopped singing, and I went to college in Missouri at a little college called Valley University.

I no longer spoke to Conner, Ethan, or Trent and only spoke to Dr. O when we exchanged Christmas cards. The guys had tried to get in touch with me almost everyday of the first year that I had departed, but I soon changed my number, and the old Kira Ford was dead. Gone, forgotten. The wardrobe of yellow accented clothes had been replaced with a variety of colors, I would only wear yellow on the anniversary of my final battle. Yellow was nothing to me anymore, just the color of the sun.

I had even changed my last name legally. To Thomas, to honor my mentor Dr. Thomas Oliver, or just plan Dr. O. He didn't know about the change nobody knew, not even my parents, who like Dr. O, only heard from me once a year.

Other changes included my hair being dyed and cut short. Nobody here knew me as Kira Ford at VU, the outspoken guitar playing singer from Reefside was gone, Kira Thomas, was a bleach blond, cropped very short haired, shy girl. She rarely spoke out of turn, never got into trouble, and didn't sing or play an instrument, she was a history major. The only thing I still do is martial arts, and that was because I couldn't give up my training in the blink of an eye.

"What lesson do you go to, anyways," Trish asked, I shied away from most questions concerning my past, and I wasn't sure I should tell her this, it was after all how I had lost two roommates in the last three years.

"Trish, since the subject has been approached, I must inform you of something."

"What's this have to do with your lesson."

"Just understand that I would never hurt you, and I love having you as a roommate, and I really hope you will remain my roommate."

Trish looked confused, I would be to if I was throwing this out there to her.

"By law, and I should have told you this a while back, I must inform you that I am a brown belt in Judo, senior level, and I am a third degree black belt in Taekwondo."

"Okay, I trust that you aren't just going to throw some move at me, I personally think it's cool."

She was cool with it, that meant I didn't have to hide my trainings anymore.

"So your cool with it, so can I bring my uniform back to the room and keep it hung up?"

"I'm fine with what ever, you should know me by now."

I thanked her, and hurried off to my training. It was a relief to know that I could now talk to Trish about my training. In my rush to get out of my dorm and to my car, I knocked somebody over. I stood up and brushed myself off, and turned to the stranger, and helped him up.

"I'm so sorry sir, I'm just running late, and forgot to watch where I was going."

The guy looked up and I gulped, I didn't want to see this guy, I wanted nothing to do with him anymore. It was Conner McKnight, my former teammate, and leader of the Dino Thunder Rangers.

"No, the fault is all mine, I wasn't watching where I was going, and had something on my mind, but I'm glad we bumped into each other, I don't normally get pretty girls running into me."

"I'm sorry," I said, "first, I have a boyfriend who get's jealous when strange men so much a flirt with me, and secondly, I love him."

I had practiced that story many times, should the need arise to use it, and here it was, my friend Chris, who we called Bear because of his size, knew that I was running from something, and while he didn't know what exactly, I had run the story by him, and asked if he would be my boyfriend should the need arise, and he had agreed.

"Well than, Ms, my apologies, could you by chance tell me if you know a Kira Ford, from Reefside California?"

"I only know one Kira, and my last name is Thomas and I'm is from New York. You could check with register, they may know another Kira on campus, but I don't know her, but I think I would know if somebody shared my name."

"Thank you, and if you happen to remember her, please give me a call at this number," he handed me a business card that said Reefside Waves, and gave his contact information. "My name is Conner McKnight by the way. I'll be in town for a week, possibly longer should the need arise."

"Why do you need to find this Kira Ford," I asked wondering why he was trying to track me down.

"Her friends just want to make sure she is okay. She left rather abruptly a few years back with out telling anybody where she was going."

"Do you love her," I asked randomly.

"She was one of my best friends, she was the girl I could share anything with. Myself, and her two other friends where very heartbroken when she left."

"I'm sorry," I apologized, "for knocking you over, but I really must be going, it was nice to meet you, I hope you find what you are looking for."

I walked away, and I could almost feel the tears brimming in my eyes. Good thing I was wearing sunglasses, or Conner would have seen. I reached my yellow Camero, and got in, it was the only yellow thing in my life.

I wiped the tears that where flowing down my face. I had just lied out right to my best friend who was looking for me. My heart wanted me to turn around and rush and hug my old friend, while my brain made me drive to my training.

There where random cars out front of the dojo, it could be any one of the students, or some of the younger students parents. One car stuck out at me, it was a Jeep like Dr. O use to drive. Seeing Conner had made me really homesick.

I walked in and found Sensei Stewart in his office. It was funny how Justin Stewart could be Sensei when he was younger than me, but only by a year. I had been in Sensei's office before, but I had never truly taken an opportunity to look at his trophies and pictures and stuff.

Sensei had won a lot of trophies at various meets, and he had pictures scattering from photo's of his current girlfriend, Renee, to pictures of him with a bunch of older looking students. He must have been twelve or thirteen at the time.

I stopped dead, there in the picture looking at me, was Dr. Thomas Oliver, my mentor. I never knew that Sensei knew Dr. O. My life couldn't get any worse right?

"Ah," Sensei Stewart walked in, "Kira, I tried to call and inform you that I was running a bit behind schedule, but your roommate picked up your cell phone and told me you had dashed out to get here. But I see you are just arriving as well. I would like for you to spar with an old friend of mine today."

"I'm not that old Justin," Dr. O walked in the room, I gulped again.

"To me you are, Kira, this is my friend Dr. Thomas Oliver, Tommy this is Kira Thomas, one of my most prized students, she is a third degree black belt in Taekwondo and a brown belt in Judo."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Oliver, I hope I don't get banged up to much that you have to bandage me up."

"Oh, Tommy's not a medical doctor, he is a doctor of paleontology, he just love's his dinosaurs, and fast cars, if I remember correctly," Sensei laughed, and Dr. O followed suit. I tried to look confused, I knew it was an inside joke that I wasn't suppose to know about.

"Sorry, it's an inside joke that Justin shouldn't have brought up," Dr. O glared at Justin playfully.

"So did dinosaurs bring you to town," I asked, with Conner and Dr. O here, my chances of being found out where getting better, when would they be leaving, Conner had said a week.

"Actually, I'm looking for an old student of mine, Kira Ford, we believe she is currently attending Valley University, and we just want to know that she is okay."

"Are you with a Conner, Conner… McKnight I believe he said was his name," I asked trying to sound dumb.

"Yes, he is currently checking the school out, but how did you know about him?"

"I sort of bumped into him earlier today, anyways, could we get to sparring, I'm due back at school for a sorority function." I had joined a sorority after Sensei Stewart told me that I was a loner, and needed friends.

"Of course."

* * *

An hour later, I had beaten him three times, and he had me pinned four. It had been a good work out session.

"Kira, it was a pleasure sparing with you, I hope I get to meet you again someday. Justin talks very highly of you." I nodded and left the building. I had an hour before I had to be at the bar for our social with Gamma Lambda Mu, I was in Theta Alpha Delta.

I walked back to my car and drove to school, while driving, I need to get my plan of Bear being my boyfriend into place.

"Hello," Bear answered on the second ring.

"Hey Bear, remember that favor I asked about needing a boyfriend if the time ever arose?"

"Yea," he sounded confused.

"Can you be at the bar tonight, it's time to become a couple."

"Sure, we have the social tonight, is the guy your running from here?"

"At least two of them are, and I've met both of them today."

"They didn't recognize you. That must be cool to have changed so much that somebody wouldn't recognize you."

"Yea, I've changed more than my hair. I'll see you at the bar tonight."

I hung up and parked my car, Conner was no where to be seen. I hurried up to my room, still in my robes.

"Whoa, when you told me you where bringing your uniform back, I didn't expect you to still be wearing it," Trish said, I changed out quickly and got back into my jeans and started sifting through my clothes to find something to wear tonight.

"Oh, Trish, I'm going to be out late tonight, we have a social at the bar. Joy," I didn't look forward to these all that often.

"So, some creepy dude came by today asking for a Kira Ford. I told him I had never heard of her before. I think the dude was knocking on everybody's door."

"Did you get a name?"

"Ethan, I think," Three here, I wondered where Trent was. I looked at my watch and forgot that I had told my friend Natalya that I would tend the bar while she picked Jordan her daughter up from the babysitters, and run her to Natalya's parents.

"I totally forgot, I have to go tend the bar, I'll see you later."

* * *

"What can I get you," I didn't look up to see who the consumer was. Big mistake.

"Three beers, please Kira," It was Conner.

"Mr. McKnight, did you ever find that girl you where looking for?"

"Yes," I grabbed three beers "she was here but after her first year she disappeared of the map."

"I'm sorry to hear that, where are your travels going to take you next? What can I get you," I asked the next consumer, who just happened to be Bear. He leaned over the bar and kissed me on the cheek.

"I would like some of you," he was really getting into this.

"I'm working Bear, what do you want to drink."

"A beer, when do you get off,"

"Before the social, Natalya should be here any time." I grabbed a beer and handed it to him. He was the last person in the line at the moment, I looked back at Conner.

"Boyfriend?"

"Yea."

"Looks intimidating, but I'm sure I could take him. I have my black belt after all." He was bragging.

"So your travels, where are they taking you next?"

"Here, my old teacher, one of the guys I'm traveling with, has a friend here that he wants to visit with for awhile, and we get to meet him. He's owns the dojo here in town."

"Justin Stewart? I go to that dojo, third degree black belt."

"I'm impressed. It's hard to achieve third degree, I'm still at second degree, my friends Trent and Ethan, the other two I'm traveling with are still just first degrees, and I'm not sure what Dr. O is. You should come and meet them."

"Can't, I'm working, than I have a social. Sorry, maybe I'll see you around."

"Kira, thank you so much, normally the babysitter could keep Jordon, but her own kids are ill."

"It's no problem, Natalya. I have to go to my social though." And pull the wool over my old friends eyes, get them to look the other way. Get them away from my current location.

I went over and set beside Bear, who threw his arm around me.

"Thanks," I whispered.

"No problem," he whispered back, his mouth so close to my ear it looked like he had kissed my cheek than said anything.

Tara and Thea looked at me, and giggled. I never dated, so they thought that I was finally with a guy. I just snuggled closer to Bear.

"So, Kira," Thea said, "have you heard about these three guys that have been on campus looking for some girl. I think all the boys are love sick over this one girl, and they can't let her go."

"I heard the nerd saying how he had a trace on one of her old phones which she never shut off. It was creepy." Tara said, I let the two and the group's chatter become a hum in my ear, I didn't realize I was such a hot news topic right now. I saw my old teammates leave thirty minutes later.

* * *

An hour later I was getting drunk and Bear was already there, I stood up and said my good nights, Bear followed, and we left.

Luckily for us, the bar was only three blocks from the dorms and Bears frat house. I left my car at the bar and we walked back.

"Kira tell me the truth, are you really Kira Ford," Bear asked suddenly.

"Yes, I ran after high school because I was scared. My friends and I where splitting up after a great year of being close so I ran. You remember me my freshman year don't you, or you remember Kira Ford. Long brown blond hair. Always humming to herself."

"I never connected it together, but I wish I had, you've been living a new life, and now your old friends are here, and you've seen them, and they've seen you, is it weird."

"Very," we where at the dorms and I said my goodnights, he kissed me on the cheek again and walked away to his house. I made my way up to the room, and found Trish watching TV.

"How was the social," she asked when I came in.

"Boring, for the most part. What are you drinking?"

"Beer, you want one, or there's harder stuff in the fridge."

"I'm pretty drunk as it is, I don't want to get any worse."

I sat down on my bed and watch some TV with her. The new team of rangers, Jungle Fury had made big news today. I tuned it out. This was our nightly ritual, watch the news, Trish would get up and smoke out the window, and than we would go to bed. It was clockwork.

Trish got up and opened the window.

"Oh, shit, Kira come and look at this."

I went to the window and there was my own living demon standing, looking at our window. Conner McKnight knew, I was busted.

"I'm gonna need a shot or two, before I go kick his ass," I said getting two shot glasses and pouring tequila into both, I handed one to Trish and gulped the other down. I refilled and took it again, and once more to be on the safe side.

"Okay, tiger slow down."

"I'm going to kill Conner McKnight." I was pissed. How had he figured out. I stormed out of the room, and made my way to where Conner was standing, I heard Trish following me, trying to talk me out of kicking this guy's ass. I slammed my way through the front door, I didn't give a flying monkey's butt if the RA's wrote me up. I was pissed and drunk. I called my sisters and told them to get over here, Conner was about to learn that if you messed with one TAD, you messed with them all.

I stopped dead in my tracks, if you messed with one of the rangers, you messed with them all, and with me messing with Conner, meant not only was I going to mess with Trent, Ethan, Dr. O and Conner, but also myself, I was as much of this team as they where. I not only had the Dino Thunder Rangers against me if I pushed Conner, but I also had all the rangers past and present and maybe even future would be against me. I didn't want to be found, I wanted to remain Kira Thomas, not Kira Ford.

I called my sisters back and told them it was a false alarm. I wasn't going to kill anybody yet, but if they got a call from jail later tonight, that they where to get into my account and get money to bail me out.

"Trish, go back to the room, I must take care of this by myself, I have to stop running."

Trish looked hesitant, but I nodded and she turned around, I had to get Conner away from where Trish would watch out of the window. I had to talk to him alone. I decided to take him to the spot I had found my freshman year when I was having a bad moment, and needed to find myself again.

"Conner, come with me," I motion for him to follow me. I walked to a swing that was located south of our science center. I set down and he set down on the other side.

"How did you know," I asked, "and do the others know?"

"You tried to hard, and no, I haven't told them yet, you should tell them."

"How did you know that we would see you looking at our window?"

"I heard Trish say she would need a cig later after the news, I stood there for an hour waiting, I knew you where getting drunk or tipsy, I never expected you to come flying out to hurt me, even though I knew you wouldn't, or should I say couldn't. We are best friends, after all."

"I abandoned the team though, Conner I left without a trace as to my whereabouts. How can you forgive me just like that."

"You where scared, hell, I was scared, I thought about running as well, but I knew that I couldn't run away for long. The past always catches up with us."

"So, why are you looking for me now?"

"We've been searching for you since you left. We love you, and we want to know your safe, and if you want, we will leave you alone and never return, I will tell the team that you where never here. I haven't even told them about what I found. Only you. I don't like your hair."

"Yea, I don't either, but it stays like this so nobody would find me."

"Grow it back out Kira, we won't look for you again if you don't want us to. I will give them false leads."

"Maybe," I started crying, Conner moved over to set closer to me, "I want to stop running, Conner, I'm tired of running, I should never have left, I did the worst thing a ranger could do, I abandoned the team, I left you without your yellow ranger. I shouldn't be a ranger."

"Hey, I understand why you left, you where scared, we all where, we all shut up after we lost our powers."

I cried into his jacket, it was brick red. I wasn't wearing a stitch of yellow. I really had abandoned the rangers. I had disgraced the yellow ranger legacy. He grabbed my chin and tilted it up.

"Don't you dare start blaming yourself for what's happened, focus on what is to come. The good things, you say your tired of running, well here's the thing, you can come back, things will be like you never left."

"No, Conner, there will always be the doubt of my abandonment in the back of their minds, I can't come back and things be like I never left." Fresh tears started running down my face, I tried to hid my face, but he wouldn't let me.

His face came down on me, he was going to kiss me. It was light, just a brushing really, but things I hadn't felt in years came rushing back and I kissed him a bit harder. He went along with it.

I finally broke away, breathless.

"I shouldn't have done that," Conner said, "your boyfriend will try to pick a fight."

"Bear is just my friend, it's an act I devised to keep you and Trent and Ethan away from me."

"So, this is okay?"

I nodded, and he kissed me again. It was just as amazing as the first and I could feel sparks between us.

He smiled as he broke the kiss and kissed my forehead.

"Can we keep this a secret, Conner, for awhile."

"Yea, that might be best, but I still have to live in Reefside, my contract isn't up yet."

"Can we go see the others," I asked.

"Yea, they are going to be happy."

* * *

Ten minutes later, I was standing outside of Dr. O's hotel room. Conner had called ahead, and told Ethan and Trent to be waiting in Dr. O's room.

"You ready," Conner squeezed my hand and let it go.

"Ready when you are," I said.

He opened the door, and went in, motioning me to follow.

"There had better be a good reason for this, making us get up in the middle of the night, is there a fire," Dr. O said.

Ethan just looked at me, studying me. I knew he knew.

"Kira, no way, what did you do to your hair," Ethan ran and embraced me in a hug.

"Ethan it's amazing to see you."

"Kira," Dr. O said in shock.

Trent still hadn't said anything, just looking at me in shock.

"Trent, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left. I was scared and stupid," tears where threatening to spill again, and Trent was at my side giving me a hug.

"Dr. O, guy's can you ever forgive me?"

"You never had a reason for us to be mad at you, you where scared, you fled, it's human instinct, it's fight or flight, you had already fought, you needed to fly," Dr. O gave his words of wisdom.

He came forward and gave me a one armed hug. He tried to keep it professional. "Thank you," I cried.

I didn't make it back to the dorms, I fell asleep in the boys room, we had stayed up all night talking finally falling asleep around six that morning. Ethan and Trent in one bed, Conner and I in the other.

I woke at nine that morning knowing I had my ten o'clock and needed to get to it, sometime in the night Conner had thrown his arm over me, I pushed it off and slipped out of the room. Dr. O was coming out of his room.

"Good morning Kira,"

"Morning, Dr. O."

"It's good to hear you call me that again," he smiled, "you sneaking off again."

"No, I have classes until two, tell the guys I will be at the Theta Alpha Delta house at two thirty and to come over and visit, I want them to meet my sisters."

"Actually, the boys and I have to get going, something has happened in Angel Grove that requires our attendance."

"What's going on, do I need to be there?"

"You could, but I refuse to pull you away from your studies. I just learned that Bulk and Skull, the troublesome bullies from when I was a ranger have done something for all rangers, and they are unveiling it tomorrow. I think your studies come before this, plus what ever Bulk and Skull have up their sleeves is worth a headache to the rangers."

"Okay, I don't know what I will be doing as far as going back to Reefside anytime soon, but I promise to try."

"Kira, go to class, than call the guys whenever you want, they aren't going to let you run again."

I nodded and walked to my car which was still at the bar. The walk let me reflect on all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. I now had a boyfriend, I had my team back, I had my friends back. Life was looking good, and in just one years time I could move back to Reefside as a newly graduated college student. I could even take up the guitar and singing, the first thing I was going to do was let my hair grow back out, and stop dying it blond.

_Six Months Later_

My life was going strong. I had moved into the sorority house after that fateful night that had brought me back with my best friends. My hair was no longer blond, it was a nice brown blond, and long.

I had found out that my Sensei was a former power ranger, the former blue turbo ranger, we now sparred as equals, I had moved up another degree and my sisters wanted me to have space to practice so they gave me my own room. When I asked about it, they said jokingly that they where scared of me. My reply was a laugh, I couldn't hurt them, they had helped me when I was down.

I continued to date Conner on the down low. We had only seen each other a handful of times since we had started dating, but things where going great, we had even talked about him meeting my sisters. We had come so far in just six months.

Ethan and Trent came to Valley University as often as possible, and for both of them that was every day. They had both transferred to VU so that they could stay close, I figured it was to keep an eye on me.

The first weekend of May I would graduate with honors, my family, Dr. O, Haley and Conner would be in attendance. Trent and Ethan would be standing with me receiving their diploma's in art and computer sciences respectively. Than the three of us would be moving back to Reefside. Conner and I where going to get a house together.

My parents and I where still on rocky ground, but mainly due to the fact that they where scared that I would just up and disappear again. We talked about once a week. They where looking forward to coming to graduation, it would be the first time they would come on to VU's campus. I had flown home for a few weeks over the summer to see them, and while they were upset that I had changed my last name, I knew that they respected why I had done it, and where living with it.

I know I've been talking about my love life a lot, and you have to be wondering what about the other three guys.

Dr. O, has settled with a girl that he was rangers with a long time ago. Kat Hillard. They are expecting twins in four months. They had meet again at the statue that Bulk and Skull had made in the original rangers honor.

Trent was dating Thea my sister. Ethan was dating Lisa a GA here at VU. Both where happily in love, and couldn't wait until I found my man. I haven't told them about Conner and I.

"Kira," Tara stuck her head in the door, "there is somebody downstairs to see you, and they are really cute."

"So it's a girl," Tara was a lesbian, and for the longest time we had thought her and Thea where dating, turns out we where wrong, they where cousins, who where just really close.

"I can't say, all I can say is that they are really cute, and I mean super hunky cute. Even I can appreciate a cute guy. Oh and he said he is Delta Theta Rho. What ever that means."

I had no clue, I got up and put my yellow slippers on heading down stairs. That was another thing that had changed, my wardrobe was back to what it use to look like, lots of yellow accents.

A group of my sisters where gathered around the door leading to the informal living room.

"What are you guy's looking at," I asked, causing them to jump.

"There is a super hot guy in there, I call dibs," Mary said.

"No, Mary, I call dibs," Malay said.

"Actually, I want to call dibs," I said stunning the group. That was all I had meant to do. I didn't really want another guy.

"Kira, we love you, but this guy acts like he is to good for you, I mean whoever he is here for, he must love, he has a dozen red roses in his one hand, and a dozen yellow in another," Malay said.

Red, yellow, Delta Theta Rho, DTR, Dino Thunder Rangers, it was Conner, but he was with the team, playing, I thought for a moment than it hit me, he was playing here, the league here. The Reefside Waves where here for a week. I pushed my way though the group and there, standing in the informal living room of my sorority was my secret boyfriend, and I didn't care that he was secret.

I rushed to him, my personal savior. The guy who had helped me conquer my fears, and face the future with me. I kissed him with all my passion. I heard the girls behind me gasp. Nobody had known, they knew now. I pulled away.

"Hi," Conner said.

"Hello, what are you doing here,"

"Came to surprise my secret girlfriend. Here, you might want to put these in water," I took all twenty four roses and walked towards the kitchen, but he grabbed my hand. "Wait."

I turned around and Conner was on his knee grabbing something from his pocket. Please don't let it be a diamond ring, I wasn't ready. Would I tell him no though, I wouldn't, I loved him to deeply.

"Kira, I spoke with some of friends of mine, and I asked them what I should do to make a girl mine that was in a sorority. They told me one thing." He opened the box and there sat my letters, Conner McKnight was giving me my lavaliere necklace. It had my birthstone set under it. I was being bonded to him in fraternal ways.

"Conner, it's perfect. I love you." He got up and hooked the necklace around my neck. I kissed him tenderly. We broke the kiss to girls clapping. I heard two guy's whistling. Trent and Ethan where here.

"You planned this," I asked him, it sounded more like a statement though.

"Actually, we did. Conner told us about you two and asked us how to make you his, I asked Thea who asked the other girls, and she came back with giving you a lavaliere," Trent said. I smiled and hugged my two best friends.

"Thank you, both," I whispered.

"I still wished I had dibs," I heard Mary say, "on any of the three, they are super cute."

_Graduation_

I was waiting to walk in with the rest of my class, the ceremony was beginning shortly. The good thing about this ceremony was that we didn't have to stand in alphabetical order. I was standing with Trent and Ethan, Conner was holding my hand, he was standing with us up until he was told he had to go to his seat. He was sitting with Dr. O and his wife of three months Kat, and the twins Trini, named after a power ranger who had been killed in a car accident, and Kira, a ranger who had been lost but was now found. Conner kissed me on the cheek, and lead me away from the group. We still had some time to kill, and I was thinking a major make out session would kill time nicely. He kissed me and I kissed him back and together we lost track of time. Trent and Ethan came to get me to get in line. Conner made his way to the bleacher.

I had been chosen this year to give the speech. I was nervous, but I hadn't run, I was going to give it and become a college graduate.

Pomp and Circumstance came on and we started walking getting to our chairs and doing the senior shuffle as it was called every year. Trent was on the left of me, and Ethan was on the right.

My name was called and I walked up to the podium.

"Today marks the ending of one chapter of our lives, and the beginning of another. Our college days are now behind us," I scanned the crowd for Conner, I found Dr. O who was looking proud. "those days where ones that where meant to shape us, teach us to become the leaders of tomorrow. Each story is different, each equally unique. When I first started at VU, I was Kira Ford a nobody, I was running from a difficult past. When I found that my friends from high school where looking for me, I changed," still no sign of Conner, where was he, this was the proudest moment of my life. Dr. O gave me a thumbs up, I smiled in return. "I cut my hair and changed my name. I was no longer Kira Ford, but Kira Thomas, a name chosen after a great man, one who inspired me to be what I wanted. Fast forward two years, I had become Kira Thomas so completely. I didn't talk to my family, my friends had, I thought, given up looking for me. As I was going to Taekwondo practice one day, I ran in to a person who I hadn't seen in three years."

I'm going to kill Conner, he had went MIA.

"I ran into one of my best friends from back in California. He didn't recognize me. I was ecstatic. If he couldn't find me than he would just leave, or so I thought. My mentor, the man who inspired my new last name was also here, along with my two other best friends from Reefside. Non of them recognized me, except for the one I had run into earlier that day. He stood at my window that night, and when I found him staring at it, I wanted to kill him, not because he had found out who I was, but because I was to scared to face my past. That night ended up being the start of something amazing. We began dating."

Conner was still MIA, I saw Dr. O, and he pointed towards the left hand side of the stage, I turned my head and found him. He was standing there, in a red shirt, and jeans, looking like a God. He walked on to the stage.

I think I knew what he was doing before he did it. He knelt to one knee and pulled out a small box. He pinched it open.

"Kira Ford-Thomas, will you marry me." Nestled inside the box was a simple diamond ring. About two karats if I guessed right. I was.

"Of course," he stood up and I kissed him. I had finally found my way back home.


End file.
